Carbon, Emery youth baseball players attend major league alumni camp

Southeastern Utah and Wasatch Front baseball players attended a Major League Alumni Association camp on April 24 at Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City. The players enjoyed a day of baseball instruction from professional Utah icons of the past, as well as the chance to attend a Stingers baseball game.

Young baseball players from Carbon and Emery Counties made a trip to Franklin Covey Field, the home of the Salt Lake Stingers, for a day of instruction from former major league players on April 24.

The baseball camp, put on by the Major League Baseball Alumni Association of Utah and its members, included a former Cy Young Award winner and several world champions.

Children ages 8-17 are eligible for the annual event which teaches baseball fundamentals like hitting, fielding, and base running. Pitching and catching were also areas of emphasis.

Prior to this year, only children from the Wasatch front were given invitations to the camp. However, Spencer's Wishes Foundation, a non-profit organization out of Price, saw to it that interested players from southeastern Utah would also be given the opportunity to participate.

Over 250 youth, plus their parents were in attendance, 52 of which were from Carbon or Emery County. Children were chosen from a random drawing, which they were notified to apply for through the radio and newspaper.

Phil Roundy, a director of Spencer's Wishes Foundation, said the camp may be available to even more area kids in the future.

Along with the instruction, the children were given T-shirts, autographs by the players, a pizza lunch and tickets to the Stingers'game that night.

The parents were also invited down to the field during the clinic to watch their kids and the players interact.

"This was the best day of my life," 11-year-old Caden Watkins of Price commented.

Watkins was able to catch the foul ball of a future Major League player at the Stinger's game.

"Hearing that comment from just one kid made it all worth it," Roundy said.

Roundy also added that the alumni players were eager to have southeastern Utah children back next year.

"The association was so impressed by the Carbon and Emery County kids and parents that they want us to bring even more kids next year," he concluded.